The invention relates to a vehicle body member, such as a roof, which has an aperture therein, a sliding closure panel therefor which is displaceable in a frame upon sliding blocks by drive cables, the body member being covered toward the vehicle interior by a cover panel.
In the conventional vehicle roofs of this type (for example DAS [German Published Application] No. 1,157,495) the frame is a sheet-metal part spot-welded to the vehicle roof and covered with respect to the interior space of the vehicle by a headliner which, in most cases, consists of a fabric and is glued to the edges of the frame; this headliner extends across the entire vehicle roof. The production of such a sheet-metal frame is relatively expensive, since it must be manufactured in most cases of several parts, and the guide means for the sliding blocks and for the drive cables require considerable molding work. Since this frame simultaneously forms a gutter, the connection of the parts must be tight. Besides, the frame must be very carefully enameled in order to prevent rusting. The attachment of the headliner to the frame by gluing is expensive in labor and interferes with the assembly line production if the sliding roof is to be installed in series construction.
The invention is based on the problem of providing a vehicle roof which can be manufactured and installed with less complications and thus be less costly.
This problem has been solved according to a preferred embodiment, through the use of a synthetic resin frame; the side which faces the interior of the vehicle forms at least part of the headliner.
In a vehicle roof of this invention, a frame with a guide arrangement for the sliding blocks and the drive cables can be manufactured in one working step without requiring a secondary working step or aftertreatment, for example by enameling, since the synthetic resin, if desired, can also be dyed in any color. It is unnecessary to provide a covering of the frame with respect to the interior of the vehicle, since the frame, due to its coloring and/or surface structure, acts as a headliner or part thereof. Since synthetic resin is substantially more flexible than sheet metal, the danger of injuries in collisions is considerably reduced by the arrangement of this invention. Danger of injuries can be additionally diminished by using a foamed synthetic resin at least on the surface area of the frame facing the passenger compartment.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the underside of the frame extends to the outer limiting edges of the roof so that the frame constitutes the entire headliner. Alternatively, the zone of the headliner lying outside of the frame can be formed by parts consisting preferably of a synthetic resin and being inserted between the outer edges of the frame and the outer limiting edges of the roof.
Especially if the sliding top consists of a transparent or translucent material, a sliding headliner is provided, which is displaceable independently of the top, in order to be able to regulate as desired the entrance of light when the sliding top is closed. Appropriate sliding and mounting surfaces must be provided for this sliding headliner; in case of the customary sheet-metal frame, these surfaces are formed by inherent elements. In the frame according to this invention, made of a synthetic resin, such sliding and mounting surfaces for the sliding headliner can be readily molded to the frame without requiring additional working steps.
The frame is attached to the vehicle roof preferably by screwing or riveting the frame to an interior roof panel provided in the usual way, this panel serving as a roof reinforcement and surrounding the roof aperture.
Since the frame customarily defines a gutter, it is advantageous to reduce the sealing problems between the frame and the vehicle roof to locate the mounting points so that they lie outside of the zone of the gutter, which latter may carry water. For this purpose, the mounting points can be arranged at a correspondingly high level above the bottom of the gutter. In this connection, the frame can have a vertical wall extending in parallel to the front edge and to the lateral edges of the roof aperture, this wall being attached to a vertical rim of the interior roof panel. Alternatively, the frame can have a horizontal rim extending toward the outside along the front edge and the lateral edges, this rim being attached to a horizontal rim extending toward the outside along the front edge and the lateral edges, this rim being attached to a horizontal rim of the interior roof panel. Optionally, a sealing means can be inserted between the contact surfaces of the frame and the interior roof panel. In another embodiment of the invention, the frame has a vertical wall extending in parallel to the front edge and to the lateral edges of the roof aperture; this wall cooperates in a leakproof way with the underside of the roof, the frame being attached by screws from below to the interior roof panel surrounding the roof aperture, outside of the vertical wall.
To form the guide ducts for the drive cables, the frame can exhibit ribs extending in parallel to its front edge and its two lateral edges, these ribs forming between them the guide ducts and being covered toward the top at least partially by a cover. The guide means for the sliding blocks can be constructed in the same way. The mounting of these covers by means of screws is considerably more secure in the arrangement of this invention than in a frame made of sheet metal, since, in the latter, due to the thin wall thickness of the sheet metal, there is always the danger of a stripping of the mounting screw holes.
The frame can be made of a large number of various synthetic resins. The use of glass-fiber-reinforced polyester proved to be especially advantageous.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purposes of illustration only, plural embodiments in accordance with the present invention.